RSSFuture of 20GB PS3 Seems Uncertain
By Ed Oswald | Published April 9, 2007, 12:07 PM
Although the company denies that it is discontinued, the 20GB version of the PlayStation 3 is becoming increasingly difficult to find. At least two online retailers no longer carry the low-end model, with a brick-and-mortar retailer apparently discontinuing sales as well.
One of those stores is Sony's own SonyStyle.com. In a statement, Sony said the $499 20GB PS3 is still shipping to retailers, claiming its move was due to market demand. A spokesperson for Best Buy, whose online store has also removed the lower-end PS3, was not immediately available.
Best Buy's online sales decision apparently extends into its physical stores as well. A check by BetaNews in Washington DC metropolitan locations found an ample supply of 60GB PS3s, however no 20GB models were available.
A sales associate in Reston, Virginia confirmed that there were none in stock, and said he believed the location would no longer be carrying it due to "lack of demand." It is not immediately clear if this policy may be trickling down through the rest of Best Buy's 800 plus locations.
Sony has repeatedly said that the 60GB PS3 model is the more popular of the two, and many stores have opted to only sell that model. However, with the console struggling to keep pace with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, the $599 price point of the higher-end PS3 has kept the console on shelves.
The last available data shows that Sony's sales have dropped off sharply while the Xbox 360 and Wii have shown more seasonal declines.
If the 20GB model has been discontinued, it would not be unprecedented; in Europe, only the 60GB model is for sale, as Sony argued customers preferred the higher-end version.
Additionally, a 80GB PS3 model recently revealed through FCC filings may become the company's new flagship model, although Sony will neither confirm nor deny the existence of the new model.
"http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/04/11/new-ps3-systems-may-include-a-bonus-high-pitched-whine"
What?? nah this can't be right...i thought the PS3 had almost no failure rates!
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|What happened to Mark Gillespie and DaveBG? It's funny how they were in every Sony related thread preaching up until it was released. Then they suddenly disappeared for some reason. I wonder why...
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|DaveBG is busy sticking his nose in every post at blu-ray.com's forum. He doesnt even own a PS3 or BD by his own admission.
I think Mark at least had a respectable job and decent money. Dave is just a BD cheerleader who is broke.
I am convinced Mark was planted by Sony to post in forums favorably about Sony and the PS3. Every company does it.
p.s. I havent played a single game on my PS3, I've only used it to watch NetFlix BD rentals that I cant get on HD-DVD.
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|Are you sure about that?
I have a PS3 and a panny Blu-ray player and a PC drive (which is burning BDs 24/7 btw).
You dont have a PS3, nor a hd dvd player. I am Toshiba employee and we have banned you from using our products because you are an idiot.
And by the way your mother told me to inform you that there are 2-3 pairs of old shoes which you have to repair for tomorrow...
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|Because i have other things to do other than search for dump things to fill my life with.
And where are you?
http://img180.imageshack...essedlosersgraphcp6.jpg
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|meh, you're still a Blueray cheerleader by the looks of it.
Tell me some insider info, when are Toshiba's blue ray drives gonna be AFFORDABLE, I mean, under $200?
nice dishing out on the "shoe-repair" gag
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|Toshiba's blue ray drives gonna be AFFORDABLE (under $200) in 2 weeks, preorder now!!!
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|Present of ALL PS3 is uncertain.
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|That $100 will buy a lot of food and a good chriopracter after playing the PS3 for hours :)
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|Playing the PS3 for hours?? There's only about 5 minutes worth of gaming on that console, and that's if you're desperate for games. :)
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|Funny, I have been playing Motorstorm, Resistance, Oblibvion, Gran Tusimos HD, Tekken and F1 for months now, and still not bored. I also have a nice little collection of Blu-Ray releases, and aload of free content from the store, and all my PS1/PS2 games.
Your 5 hours comment makes you look like a annoying 12yr old fanboy... Now go away, it's time to do your homework...
These forums really are full of annoying little inmature fanboys...
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|u R an inmature
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|It was a joke. Why do PS3 fans always get so emotional and defensive?
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|actually, he said 5 minutes and speaking of fanboys *ahem* looks up...
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|Wow...I didn't realize just how sensitive PS3 fanboys are. PS3 is doing so bad and catching so much heat lately that these fanboys jump on the defensive at the drop of a pin to try to help themselves believe their money was well spent...sad.
Also I said 5 minutes, not 5 hours, don't give it more credit then it deserves now. :)
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|http://i16.tinypic.com/30ich2t.jpg
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|ROFL!!! You just named 4 of the only games worth playing on the PS3 right now!!!! O well I will go back and enjoy my 360 games. You know the good ones. O yah forgot to mention that 1 of the 4 is on 360...
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|I patiently await the headline "Sony admits Blu-ray and PS3 are its collective albatross" and dump them.
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|Don't hold your breath. When was the last time Sony admitted anything? They'll just lie and try to manipulate their way out of it.
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|Lol they will never admit it. They will be still telling you they are the greatest thing since the computer was created even after they are gone. lol
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|What kind of cheap a** wouldn't just spend the extra hundred for the bigger drive and wireless? Oh yeah, it's Dave as he doesnt have either or a BD player at all.
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|The kind who has a router on their game shelf and who would spend the extra $100 on upgrading the drive to a 120GB unit....you know like I did when I got the the PS3
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|basically sony is boosting blu-ray sales while losing out on console sales. i wonder which is a better market to capture maybe thats why they are doing this....
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|So in summary:
People are crying the PS3 is too expensive, but don't want the cheaper model..
What other BS are we supposed to believe? That PS3 is not selling? (reality is 3.15 Million units sold, over 4 million shipped). PS3 has already eaten away 1/3rd of the 360's head start... (9.6 million units sold)
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|The PS3 IS too expensive, the part about them not wanting the cheaper model is bs from the Sony spin machine. The only people who are buying the PS3 are those with the money and desire to have it anyway. Naturally they are not going to buy the cheaper model. Most consumers however are passing on both.
The PS3 is not selling well at all Mr. Lard, and that is a fact. Sales in Europe have plummeted, down 82%, sales in the US and Japan lag far behind expectations.
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|Forget it...you can't talk reason into these people. No matter how bad the PS3 is doing, they always somehow believe it's doing well...you can present all the facts and studies and whatever it is you want, they will still disagree. It's kind of sad, but sometimes, you just gotta let people believe things that they want to believe no matter how unreasonable and unrealistic it is. :)
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|I love how your PS3 numbers are much higher than the real numbers, and your 360 numbers are lower than the actual number of 360s sold. I recall during the initial launch of the PS3, Sony had promised to ship 6 million units by the end of March. We're into April now and you say they shipped 4 million PS3s? I very much doubt that. Maybe 3 million, or 3.5 if we want to be really optimistic. Either way, it's a far cry from the 6 million they were SUPPOSED to ship by the end of last month. Sony math is awesome.
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|http://www.vgchartz.com/
PS3 3.15 Million
360 9.68 Million
These are SOLD to consumers, not the BS shipped numbers that Microsoft use,
I suppose you are referring to the numbers on NextGenWars, where it's been proved, is run by a 14yr old, who makes the numbers up...
http://forums.gametraile.../showthread.php?t=84505
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|Well, it's up to you if you are fooled by press spin.
the 82% (88% actually), drop is because the 1st week numbers are based on months of pre-orders. It's obvious to even an idiot that week 2 numbers will be lower...
Are you REALLY foolish enough to believe that week 2 numbers would match months worth of pent up pre-ordering? If so, then you are a bigger fool than most people here previously thought you were..
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|Hey, I don't recall calling you names in my post. Are you so pathetic that you have to personally attack people while discussing a game console?
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|ha...what'd I tell ya?:)
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|yea...and vgchartz has been PROVEN to be the end all of console sale accuracy, the go to site for PS3 fanboys?
Yup...only sites that give the PS3 a glimmer of hope are "reputable"...I know, it's ok.
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|He's not calling you a fool, but I think he was asking if your foolish enough to expect the numbers NOT to have dropped..
Only a fool would believe that week 2 numbers fom the UK would be anywhere near the numbers based on the pre-ordering (the 6 month delay only adding to built up launch demand).
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|just type in ps3 and sales.
EVERYONE says its plummetting and game manufacturers are abandoning exclusivity to the ps3, I am sure you will say then that everyone is out to get sony that ALL those sites are wrong and ms is buying them all...
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|Don't you get it terminalx...vgchartz is the ONLY accurate source for PS3 sales and all the information you need to see that the PS3 is the best and most successful console EVER!
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|No, I'm pretty sure he was. Also, may I ask why the Wii didn't have this huge drop in sales after it's launch? Let's forget about the drop from the first week, regardless of presales or whatever the fact is that right now the PS3 is selling very poorly and below expectations.
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|I don't think you will get an answer to your question from these guys...unless they can come up with a way to turn the argument in Sony's favor...
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|I'm sure you're right. :)
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|News flash...Manufacturers are abandoning exclusivity to the PS3. The new Ace Combat is now an Xbox 360 exclusive and there are rumors of Metal Gears coming to the 360. There are others along with these.
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|Eh...vgcharts makes the PS3 look successful? LOL! Not!
Lol he is just bashing NextGenWars because it doesn't favor his beloved PS3. If it did he would be posting links to it in every article no matter if it was made by a genius or a chimp.
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|Keith,
Not that I would put it past anybody but where is the proof that the site is owned and ran by a 14 year old and he makes up the numbers?
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|Niro,
Thats desperate fanboy talk. You sound so ridiculous saying crap like that. You are merely to cheap or broke to own both systems so you bash the one you don't own. Probably due to buyers remorse.
That's even if you own a PS3, which I doubt you do.
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|Huh...sarcasm doesn't fly well on forums does it...
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|They just spout their BS and run. If I was wrong as much as they are I probably wouldn't come back either.
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|I think you were flying a little too close to the actual extremism some people show. i.e. Not enough hyperbole.
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|There is no reason for them to come out with an 80 gig model when I easily can swap out my existing HDD with a new 120 gig HDD. So, they can get rid of the so-called "lower end model" if they want to, it really wouldn't matter since you can change out the HDD on both the 20 gig and 60 gig models.
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|free 42" HDTV
Just follow this link:
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Also doing the Lovefilm offer will alow you to rent a free dvd and there are lots of
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The offers are from big name companies so it cant be a scam
this is for the uk its not fake it even came on the BBC newsnight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwc597xh18k
if you dont understand what to do just email me at:
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THIS OFFER IS FOR UK
It can take about 2 weeks for the offer to complete
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|WOW.. where do they find drives that small? Are they buying end of life product?
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|Is it really a good idea to get rid of your only somewhat affordable model when price is one of the things killing your product? Also, they are coming out with an 80GB version and making the 60GB the low end? Great strategy. When your product is already too expensive, raise the price even more.
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|It could be possible that when they bring he 80GB version out that they would drop the 60GB version to $499 and make the 80GB version $599. They may not choose to do this but it's a thought.
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|I suppose it's possible but with them already losing so much money I'm not sure if they will.
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|That would be genius!! Lets have two products, with the only difference being 20GB of hard drive space and give them a 100$ price difference! Yea!
I just don't think Sony is THAT dumb...but hey, they have been proving otherwise lately, so I guess you never know. :)
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|I wonder how much the PS4 will cost, $1000+ maybe? Then again, I think Sony's gaming division will be sold off before that ever happens.
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|I agree. In fact, if MS doesn't jump at the chance then Nintendo may use the high level of sales they got selling their Wii (okay, bad joke but it's still true) and take over Sony's videogame business... and then use it to eliminate those blasted friend codes in favor of Sony's username system for online, make PS2 discs compatible with Wii, and then start planning for a HD Wii spinoff and then finally KILL OFF the (expletive) PS3 for becoming the dark horse of videogame failures in the process of all that (expletive) of Sony's equally (expletive) LIES.
Admittedly that's probably not realistic considering the Wii's "gameplay over graphics" policy, but stranger things have happened... and the Wii's surprise takeover of early 2007 videogame sales is in fact one of them.
My verdict for this reasoning? It's actually quite easy: Sony (expletive) BLEW IT.
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